


Can't Pretend

by frostxxbitex



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-01
Updated: 2016-05-13
Packaged: 2018-02-06 23:39:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1876824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frostxxbitex/pseuds/frostxxbitex
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“A devastating event involving the Kraang Portal sends Karai and Leo to a different dimension. Determined to return home they must trust and rely on each other. Set immediately after 1x21.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Blinded

**Author's Note:**

> I OWN NOTHING. ONLY THIS RIDICULOUS IDEA IS MINE.

Hi! This is my second Leorai story and I am very excited to get this started! I have it all mapped out and have the goals set in mind so I want to thank the people that decide to come on this journey. It's going to be a big one.

 **Fair warning** : This is going to be an M rated story, and while it will take some time for the M to come into play – this is a build-up story. Massive build-up, but it's necessary! - just be prepared.

Thank you to anyone who decides to give this a go, it really means a lot and I look forward to hearing your feedback.

* * *

**Blinded**

_Love, I have wounds, only you can mend_   
_you can mend_   
_I guess that's love, I can't pretend_   
_I cant pretend_

Can't Pretend – Tom Odell _  
_

* * *

The night has barely begun when Leonardo leads his team around the top of TCRI, skirting around the edge with their new mechanical wings that Donnie created that morning. It was time to take down that portal.

April was another reason. Now living in the sewer, her freedom has been ripped away as she now has two threats.

Some of the cleverly disguised windows are unlocked and Leonardo gets on one knee, his hand pushing the glass up as his brothers climb in one by one. He casts a glance out at the city, his city that he loves so much and protects the best he can.

He shuts the window behind him and drops his wings on the ground. If all goes well, the team can make it back here, slip on their new invention and escape out this very window.

They move quickly, the point of this mission was to get in and get out. The chances of being caught are high and realistically, will happen but that does not deter Leonardo in the slightest as he moves to the elevator.

Learning from last time, Donnie brings out the Kraang's head he had recovered months ago when he first built Metalhead and accessed the lift. His large thumb presses into the highest floor number as Raphael moves the cover off the elevator, allowing the turtles to climb into the shaft.

They ride the elevator to the top with no complications.

However, when they climb back down and slip into the Portal room, complications arise very quickly at the scene that greets them.

By the portal, speaking naturally with the Kraang as her hip juts out, resting on her right leg is Karai. She gestures to the portal and Leo can hear her tone rise an octave as she does so.  _She's working with them?_

Raphael tenses next to him, "I told ya, Leo. She can't be trusted."

Maybe so, and after what she did to April, Leo should have lost faith in her redemption then but the familiar pull he feels whenever he is in her presence returns. As if feeling it as well, Karai whips around, catching his eyes in an instant.

Her eyes widen as she looks over them, surprised by their sudden appearance but it's gone as soon as it came and she takes her tanto from behind her back, determination replacing the carefully hidden shock. Leonardo fumbles a bit with his Niten Ryu, almost sending it clattering to the ground as the Kraang nearest to him reaches for it's weapon.

Mikey acts quickly, digging the blade of his Kusarigama into the droids head with a battle cry.

"Take care of the Kraang," Leo shouts to his team as the fight quickly begins, "I've got the portal."

Upon hearing his words, Karai slowly smirks and stands guard, her tanto twirling in her fingers tauntingly.  _Come and get it._

He pounces towards her, his katana knocking against her tanto with all intent to knock her away from the portal. With Donnie attempting to override the system and shut down the portal, Leo couldn't be sure if it would explode or not – and no matter how pissed Karai was with them, he would not let her die over this.

Something Leo has always admired about Karai is that she fights with passion. It was different to the times when they would spar on the rooftops or in alleyways just for the sake of it, just to prove a point that never got resolved – there was something else she fought with, and he could see it in her eyes when they locked blades. Determination, fiery passion and above all, fear.

That fear was carefully concealed, but he saw it. It was hidden well, behind the rage that seemed to blind her but it was there and he began to hesitate as she pushed away from him, her tanto coming right for him again. He knocked it away easily enough. The urge to fight back, however, was absent.

He wants to sigh, to stop her and talk over what had transpired between them the past two weeks but he couldn't afford to be weak now, not when Karai was unstable enough as it was. April overpowered her, and Leo had stayed away from the group as she told the story, mulling over  _how the hell did Karai manage to be defeated?_  Not that April wasn't good, she was certainly becoming better over the months, but Karai had been training her whole life –  _so how?_

It occurred to him a few days ago – another moment where he brooded, sitting on his bed and staring down at the knife she threw to him all those weeks ago – that she was blinded by her rage, just as Shredder had been.

He did not want to believe it ran in the family. He couldn't, because if that were true, Karai would never be saved.

"Fight me," she hisses as he blocks another flurry of attacks on her part.

"I don't want to do this now, Karai." He begins, locking blades once more and seizing her wrist to keep her in place. "We have to talk about it."

Her eyes search his and for a split second, he sees the longing there – longing for a friend, he had recognised that on the rooftop when she first propositioned becoming allies for a short term. Then her brows furrow and she rears back before slamming her forehead against his, causing him to release her and stumble backwards.

"Guys, watch out!" Donatello's voice is so loud that he blocks out the sounds of battle.

Leo barely has time to register what happens before Karai; standing too close to the portal, is suddenly sucked in. Without a second thought, he follows after her, calling her name as his brothers shout in union,  _"Leo!"_

* * *

Karai lets out a sharp cry as her body connects with the ground beneath her, the dirt damp with water indicating that it must have rained recently. What a stupid thought, she thinks as she lays there panting, collecting the breath that was effectively knocked out of her.

The portal above her opens once more as Leonardo comes flinging towards her. She rolls out of the way in time to avoid impact. He lands with a thud next to her, his arms blocking his fall and his head droops slightly, hovering just above the dirt and gasping.

This would be the time to kill him. This would be the time for  _revenge_.

Her tanto that lays beside her is in her palm immediately as she scrambles to her feet, pointing her weapon to the back of his neck.

"Don't move," she warns when Leo attempts to turn over. To be honest, she isn't afraid of him unarming her, she is afraid that one look into his eyes and she will drop her tanto in defeat. It's better if she can't see him.

"Karai... Karai, don't do this." His words are slow, careful as he tries to bring her back from the edge of rage.

"Give me  _one reason why I shouldn't_!"Her breathing becomes ragged as she watches him slowly turn around, as if not to startle her. His blue eyes find her amber ones and she can already feel her face falling, the earlier revenge suddenly becoming very distant in her mind.

"We need to work together."

She scoffs, sheathing her weapon and taking a few steps away from him, her eyes flying to the trees around her. It's not that different from home, but the air tastes slightly different, more bitter. Trees reach into unusual heights as vines fall and twist around the trunks.

"Working together is a concept that is evidently lost on you," Karai snaps as she runs her fingers down the bark of the tree closest to her.

Leo heaves a sigh as he gets to his feet, using his arm to assist him. "Karai, we can argue about this another time but we have to find shelter."

She wants to argue  _now._  She wants to scream and shout that he betrayed her trust, the trust she only relinquished to few people and he went behind her back, that the hurt she felt almost rivalled the hurt she feels whenever she thinks of her mother.

But she knows he's right.

"Lead the way then," Karai relents, dropping her fingers from the tree, her head twisting over her shoulder to look him in the eye. She gives him a nod after a moments hesitation.

Leo watches her for a few moments, deciding whether he should trust her before walking passed her and between trees that seem to stretch on for miles.

The landscape is something out of a fairy tale, the radiation soaked forest glows in the twilight sky as two moons hang high beneath the first splattering of stars. Small creatures that could pass for insects on earth hum softly as they make their way through the forest, skipping over certain objects and at other times, looking closely to inspect something incredible.

When Karai caught sight of insects that almost resembled butterflies, she stopped, but only because they glowed the colours of their wings. The intricate patterns enticed her and Karai moved forward carefully to not startle them, her hand reaching out to touch one. It moved just out of her reach and a small smile broke through on her face.  _Survival instinct, I suppose_. Either way, she watches as more butterflies join this one and holds in a small laugh as one lands on her shoulder, the wings fluttering against her hair.

They were beautiful, as was this world.

Leonardo clears his throat gently. She represses a sigh and quickly wipes the smile off her face as she adopts her usual pissed-off persona, leaving the butterflies to follow him.

The moment of happiness ends abruptly as she stares at the back of Leo's head, his bandanna in a loose knot. Her eyes squint curiously at the mask. She was a ninja and knew what it meant to hide your face, if not just a bit. Protection, a mask of deception at best. Her fingers twitch by her thigh, the urge to undo his bandanna and see his face for what he truly was, was almost too much. The excitement of seeing something new. To see a different side of him.

But she had already experienced his worse side. The side he gets from his sensei. _Lack of honour_.

Her eyes drop to her feet, watching where she steps and she ignores Leo's offered hand as she skips over a fallen tree, cut down in it's prime.

He mutters a few words under his breath, words she cannot make out as the wind makes it difficult to hear the insects now. They must be getting close to something, anything.

"You can't hate me forever."

"Watch me," Karai replies indifferently.

He stops moving long enough for her to look at him, wondering what the hold up was for. His arms are twisted behind his back, head drooping low and staring at the space between them. "I know that … that my betrayal  _hurt you_ , but-"

She interjects, hand resting on her hip as she waves towards him with her other. "You're giving yourself  _way_  too much credit." His eyes lift to hers and she looks away quickly, the hurt in his eyes disgusts her. He's not allowed to hurt, not after what he did to her.

"Let's just go." Karai says after a beat of awkward silence.

They continue walking for what feels like hours as Karai follows Leo through the forest with no direction in mind. Every now and then he stops and sniffs the air. The first time she had squinted her eyes at him distastefully, honestly, must he act like an animal? But the next few times he did so, she understood. He's looking for water. Something they would need before tomorrow was through.

His arm suddenly shoots out and he points to a canopy of trees, shielding the ground from any rain that happened to slip off the leaves above. "There, we should stay there for the night."

Not exactly what she had in mind, but she wasn't about to argue. Her legs were starting to ache, despite the years of training she has been put through.

With a half-hearted shrug, Karai sits at the trunk of the tallest tree and leans back, her body armour keeping the bark from scratching into her skin.

"I'll take first watch," Leonardo offers, undoing his belt.

Karai averts her eyes, "I can do it." She says stubbornly.

His answering sigh is of defeat as he chucks his weapons into a pile beneath the trees, his elbow and knee pads following soon after. He sits a fair distance away before turning on his side, his shell towards her.

Disappointment flows through her. She was looking for a fight. Any reason to kill him, really.

Her eyes land on discarded weapons and padding. She should take them and run, leave him here to die. But something keeps her rooted in place, something she cannot pin point.

_Honour._

His breathing becomes natural, his chest rising and falling with every breath through his parted lips. Karai has her head against the tree, shifting every so often when the bark begins to rub against her scalp. If she had to estimate, it was nowhere close to being morning but she would not cave, she would stay awake all night while Leo slept. Just to prove a point.

That is when she hears it.

Running water.

Karai casts one glance at Leo's sleeping form before going to investigate. Her hands part the vines that obstruct about thirty percent of her view. About a klick away from where she and Leo took refuge is a creek. Her chest expands with relief.

She drops to her knees and curses lightly when a pebble digs into her shin. She adjusts her leg before cupping the water in her hand.

"Stop!"

Karai drops the water in surprise and it splashes onto her tights.  _Fuck, it's cold._  She glowers at Leonardo as he comes marching over, swords in hand and looking flustered.

"What are you doing?" She barks, wiping her hands off on the grass beneath her.

He sheaths his weapons as he gets closer and kneels beside her, so close that their thighs brush slightly. He does not look at her, only watching the water as if searching for it's secrets.

"It could be poisonous." He explains in a whisper, cupping the water in his own hands.

In her utter disbelief and joy over finding water, she had not even realised that the water was tinged red and smelled slightly off.

Leo raises his hands to his mouth and takes a small, tentative sip of the water. Her eyes pop, searching him for any sign that he was poisoned. After a few beats, he drops the water and stands. "It's safe, the colour must have something to do with the air."

With that, he walks back in the direction of their small refuge and she is left to stare at the red water, wondering why he tested the water for her.

She doesn't dwell on his actions for long as she takes large gulps of the water, drinking the liquid greedily.

The sounds of the forest dwindle around the creek and Karai sits there for a few more minutes just watching the red water wash over the pebbles that seems to go on forever. What did she do to deserve this? Nothing, Karai states in her mind, eyes narrowing. Absolutely nothing.

She did nothing when her father would threaten those beneath him, sometimes innocent people and she knew it. While she would always offer to give them a fighting chance, it was really to keep Shredder's honour from completely evaporating in the name of getting what he wanted. She would stand by and watch as those fell to their knees, begging for mercy only to get their throats slashed open.

It was a good thing she didn't believe in karma, or she would have a lot more heading her way.

Pushing herself to her feet, she walks back slowly to where Leonardo waits. He is sitting up, re-bandaging his fingers when she settles herself on the ground, patting the dirt beneath her to make it softer for her head. He mumbles goodnight so softly that she almost doesn't hear it above the insects and water, but she does and ignores it either way.

Turning on her side, she lets her eyes slip close and loses herself to the darkness.

* * *

About five hours later, Leonardo is wide awake and staring at the trees in front of him. The sun has just begun streaming it's rays through the canopy above them, thin beams of light surround the covered area slightly.

To be frank, Leo is afraid to find out what, if anything, resides in this dimension. There had to be some intelligent life on this planet, just some and if not, he was sure that he and Karai would have no chances of getting out of here without that portal. And after being thoroughly separated from where they were dropped from – which he now regrets immensely – they had to rely on the fact that, yes, there was intelligent life here, somewhere.

At the thought of her, he glances at Karai's sleeping form, her legs tugged up to her chest with her elbow tucked beneath her head. She looked innocent, nothing like the manipulative Kunoich he knew her to be, despite what Leo would  _like_  to believe. She was the Shredder's daughter and there was no changing that fact.

There was still that part of him that felt for her, whether it was romantic or not any more; he didn't know. What he  _did_ know was that he couldn't trust her, not without proper reason – a demonstration from her  _first –_ that they could go back to what they were before. Friends, in a way.

He had deluded himself enough into believing she was redeemable, that maybe, just maybe, with enough persuading – she would join their side,  _his side_.

And it was his fault. All his fault for not telling Raphael that no, they would not go behind Karai's back – there was no honour in that. Yet, like the coward he was for fear of being called a shit leader; mocked of his feelings for Karai, her being the reason he would not turn his back on the chance to off Shredder... well, he ruined any chances of Karai trusting him again. All because he was afraid of what his brothers would think.

Karai stirs slightly, her face pressing into her elbow. The rays of light must be tickling the back of her eyelids. He sighs and nudges her leg with his toe, afraid to touch her – she might just fatally injure him and blame it on him for startling her.

"Karai," he attempts to rouse her, nudging the back of her leg again. "It's morning."

She turns on her side rapidly, her hand flinging out to hold her upwards as she glares at him, "you let me sleep for too long."

He rolls his eyes as he stands, wiping off the dirt from the back of his shell. "Welcome as always, Karai, but it's time to go –  _now._ "

Karai observes him warily, eyes flitting from his face and to his plastron; trying to decipher his mood. "Did something happen?" For once, her tone doesn't sound as if she is blaming him for breathing her air, but genuinely concerned.

"No, but we shouldn't stay in one place too long," he waves around him, "especially out in the open like this."

She looks like she's about to argue for the pure sake of arguing, but she only sighs and nods once, getting to her feet and copying his gesture by brushing the dirt from her side. The metal armour she had discarded during the night in pure frustration of not being able to get comfortable – the moment where Leo pointedly looked away – lays beneath the tree next to him and she bends to retrieve it. Red rises to his cheeks as he glances away, sure, it was just armour but even so, he averts his eyes to give her some privacy.

She mutters something under her breath, but he doesn't hear it over the clicking of her armour.

"Where to, oh fearless leader?" Karai questions with a raised brow.

He ignores the title, "Anywhere that isn't vulnerable to all this, somewhere that is closed off – safe."

Once more, Karai hesitates – about to argue, but she doesn't and nods stiffly. She follows Leo through the forest, dodging more vines and skipping over more logs – she refuses any assistance from him along the way that he gives up, letting her fumble over the sticks in her way and hearing her curse behind him for the next few hours.

Hours of nothing but dense forest and the humming of insects. They stuck to travelling next to their only water source, following the creek that stretches on for miles. Leo believed it had to let out somewhere.

After more tripping, more curses and endless forest, Karai grips his elbow tightly and spins him around to face her. Her face is set in determination, anger settled into her brows as she scowls at him.

"Where the hell are you leading us?"

He crosses his arms, effectively shaking her hand from his arm. "I've never been here before, Karai. How am I supposed to know?"

"We can't just wander aimlessly for hours on end!" She protests, her arm sweeping around the forest that surrounds them.

"We aren't  _aimless,_  we have an aim just... no direction."

She straightens, her features softening as her lips part in pity, "you poor son of a bitch." He glares at the term but she keeps going, taking a step closer. "You can't just expect to wander on to some paradise serenity that offers what we need. Do you really expect to find it today?"

"If we didn't have to stop every time you tripped over a log instead of letting me help you, then  _maybe_  we would have made substantial progress-"

"Oh, so now this is  _my fault_?"

" _No_ , but if you would stop being so stubborn-"

" _Stubborn?_ "

"And if you would _stop interrupting_ -"

She whips her tanto out so fast that he stumbles backwards in shock and her hand grips the front of his plastron, pushing him against the tree and coming so close that her nose brushes against his snout, her blade pressed into his throat.

"We can't make any progress if we don't have an aim." She hisses eyes set in narrow slits.

He swallows involuntarily, his skin kissing the metal at his neck, "shelter, our aim is shelter."

"We had shelter-"

"Tell me something, Karai." He starts when she lets up on the threatening stance, her elbow resting on his shoulder and giving him room to breathe. "Do you think we are alone in this dimension? Do you truly think it's just us?" He sees the cogs start to work in her head, taking in what he has said but she does not falter at all in releasing him.

Her tongue rests on her top lip as she stares at the bark behind him, truly thinking. Leo takes in a shaky breath as he watches her.

"We're not alone."

Leo begins to nod in agreement of her statement, he didn't believe they were alone for one second on this planet. Then he notices how she nervously flicks her eyes around them, dropping the blade from his throat to scan the tree line. He starts to reach out, to tell her it's fine when she backs up against him, tanto in hand and glinting murderously in the light.

Creatures, creatures he has never seen before step out from behind trees in every direction with weapons far more menacing than theirs in hand.

* * *

Second Leorai story! I am working on getting Fire, Fire finished and soon. It won't be more than 15 parts, I believe. Not entirely sure, I haven't worked out that much yet but in the meantime, while you all wait for me to wrap my head around it, here you are!

I've had this in mind since Enemy of my Enemy. I have mapped it all out, this story will be roughly 20-22 parts – still deciding on that but it's all planned out for the most part.

So enjoy this new story :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: All credit goes to respective owners and creators. Only this crazy idea is mine.

_Who, who are you really?_  
_And where, where are you going?_  
_I've got nothing left to prove_  
_Cause I've got nothing left to lose_  
_See me bare my teeth for you_  
_Who, who are you?_

Who are you, really? - Mikky Ekko

* * *

 

Blood rushes to her face as these creatures step around the trees in all directions, barbaric weapons in hand. The hideousness rivals that of what Karai has to see on a daily basis in the Foot Clan. Mutations were suddenly plain in comparison to the beasts that now stare her down, an evil glint in their yellow eyes.

 _Dinosaurs_ , her mind tells her, remembering the many history lessons she suffered through from her private tutor in Tokyo. Triceratops, but they were standing on their hind legs, clothed even.

Shoulder pads that were twice the size of their actual shoulder were hoisted on only their left arm, three horns mounted on the leather that seem to resemble their own horns. _From their fallen comrades, perhaps?_ The same leather pads cover their forearms, upper thighs and shins, secured together with chain-mail. Tattered loin cloths are strung around their midsection and fall to their calves.

One of the creatures to her left mock lunges for her and she whips to face it, her back colliding into Leo's. The beast chuckles darkly at her reaction and continues to circle them.

She can barely hear their footsteps above the roaring of blood in her ears and the wavering beats of her heart pounding against her ribs.

"Karai," Leonardo warns softly, slowing taking only one katana in hand – his eyes rapidly observing each creature.

The tanto in her grasp is heavy and she almost drops it as the creatures continue to regard them in interest. These creatures cannot be as advanced as the Kraang but they also seem to have different ways of handling threats, judging by the weapons they carry.

From the looks of the one that frightened Karai, he had a spear in hand – a sharpened rock as the tip with feathers and bones decorated clumsily onto the thin but efficient stick in his large, three fingered hand.

If she weren't so unnerved, she would crack a joke and tell Leo they had something in common. But the lump in her throat stops her from saying a damn thing.

 _Twelve_ , she counts. _There are twelve of them_.

Leo stiffens behind her and that was her red flag. She looks in his direction and focuses on the creature that he is staring down. Her eyes widen. Said creature is clearly the one in charge – larger than the rest, more vicious looking than the rest and on his shoulder pad, instead of the three horns, it's a skull.

She is about to ask what they should do – never, would she ever, ask someone else what their next move was but in this situation, Karai was at a lost. Trained to lead, to always be the leader and yet here she was, about to question her enemy on what to do. _Pathetic_.

Before she can ask, however, the leader of the creatures lunges for Leonardo and the mutant sidesteps just in time, katana knocking against the machete that the creature wields. Karai barely has time to block an attack aimed at her.

It's the one with the makeshift spear and the tip just grazes her chest armor at her waist as she pivots out of reach. Her tanto knocks the spear outwards and she spins, her leg coming in an arc around her body and against the creature's unprotected arm. He shifts slightly at the contact and Karai tries not to let that concern her. He's much bigger and tougher than her.

Her pride is still slightly wounded, however.

"Karai, look out!"

Leo's voice distracts her as she looks to him. She sees the horrified expression on his face, how he has his swords blocking the leaders' machete and two more advancing towards him when she is viciously pushed to the ground.

A strangled groan escapes her mouth at the impact the ground makes with her head as spots burst in her view. Her arms are pulled above her, one large hand keeping them together as the creature pins her to the ground with his knee pressing into her stomach. Karai desperately tries to shift out of it's hold but the pressure only pushes further into her abdomen. Her toes curl in protest and she attempts to tug her hands free with frantic jerks.

"Get off me!" She gasps through the pain.

The pressure immediately relents and Karai can still not see properly, the trees above her blurred. Before she can catch her breath again, something hauls her to her feet and she is being pulled away at a rate her weak legs cannot keep up with. She attempts to weakly pull away from the grasp on her forearm but the three fingers feel oddly familiar as they slip to her hand, holding it firmly. _Leo_.

She stops resisting and lets Leo tug her through the forest, maneuvering between trees, over logs and various obstacles to get away from their newest enemy.

Something scrapes against her lower back, just beneath her armor, and she lurches forward, out of reach as a cry rips from her throat. Leo stops and she falls to her knees, breathing raggedly through her mouth as she squeezes her eyes shut to block out what is happening around her. The sounds of battle do not relent for a moment. Leo's grunts and shouts are the only thing keeping her from falling unconscious in pure exhaustion.

The ground beneath her is suddenly removed as Leo lifts her into his arms. His Niten Ryu are back in their sheath and he holds her close, running away as fast his legs can allow.

"Breathe, Karai," he reminds her urgently as he sidesteps.

Her eyes, still closed, clenches as she takes some more breaths – the fast motion jostling her breathing slightly. The loud cries and screams from behind them slowly fade away as Leo carries her further and further from the creatures. Soon, all she hears is the newly familiar sounds of insects but the only thing absent is the running water. She swears under her breath and peels her eyes open slowly, noticing how Leo begins to slow his pace. He hops over a fallen branch and stops, just in front of two large cliffs.

The hand that Karai has braced against his shoulder unknowingly falls to her lap. Her head lulls backwards in defeat and she breathes in the fresh air deeply. "What the hell just happened?"

He sets her down on the ground carefully, not releasing her arm until her feet were planted steadily on the soft dirt. "I have no idea... they looked kind of like-"

"Dinosaurs?" She replies, her back pressing into the rocky wall of the cliff behind her.

"But not quite."

She nods her agreement, eyes cast upwards. They could have died. Had they stayed put, she could have heard them approaching and then they could have hid in the trees but they were ambushed, they were sighted walking aimlessly through the forest and were attacked.

"We should _not_ have left." Karai says and clenches her teeth, fingers curling into fists at her sides.

Leonardo doesn't look like he wants to argue with her, hell, even looks like he agrees for a moment as he sets himself down on the ground, chin resting into his hand.

"How's your back?"

Her brows furrow. She hadn't really noticed until now, but the sensation she felt when her turtle-neck was first torn rushes back to the surface of the welted skin. Her arm reaches behind her and she gingerly places her fingers on the new wound, she feels along the edge and the liquid beads onto her hand. A new scar to add to the collection of many.

"Let me see," Leo is suddenly in front of her, arms by his side and head bent.

She wants to argue, that feeling will never go away when she's with him, but she doesn't. She turns, showing her back to him and holding up the back of her shirt. His sharp intake of breath cements her thoughts – _definitely a new scar_. A large hand comes across her shoulder and dangling from his fingers are wraps. She notices how the wraps around his fingers are now missing and she hesitates before taking it.

Karai hates this about Leo. He's so naturally kind, caring and in contrast to her defensive and stubborn personality, she is easily outshone by him. But, it's also his weakness, and that is how Karai is stronger. It's how she can win.

Once the fabric is secure around her wound – Leo assured her that it didn't need much attention, the wraps were to stop the bleeding – and Karai barks an ' _I know_ ', they decide to find somewhere to rest for the night. It wasn't until they were a few mere meters from the cliff that Leo stops her and points around the middle at some alcove embedded into the rocky wall. They share a look and begin to climb.

* * *

 

Although Leonardo was not seriously injured during the fight, he could not wait to sit down and rest. His arms ached from the constant swinging, blocking and lunging. Scaling this cliff was not helping the matter. However, the idea of relaxing keeps him moving forward. Karai was right. Leaving so soon was not a good idea. He was not wrong in finding new shelter eventually though. Nothing could have predicted that fight or that they were unknowingly being hunted. It was better to get it done with and now, he had an idea of what they were up against.

Leo stays behind Karai as she climbs ahead of him. He purposely slowed his pace – she was in bad form and if she fell, he had a chance to catch her.

 _There you go again_ , he tells himself woefully, _letting her pull you in._

It disgruntles him how instant his reaction was to seeing Karai pinned beneath that monster. It was one thing when they fought naturally and seeing her against his brothers, that protectiveness was well concealed. Whether he liked it or not, if she was hurt by Raphael, Donnie or even Mikey, he could only imagine the small resentment he would feel towards them – however misdirected it really was.

But seeing her fight a common enemy. Someone she did not have an advantage against... Leo did not even think about his own personal battle, he abandoned it and ran to her aid with every intention on killing the beast. The only reason he did not follow through was the sight of her writhing on the ground, eyes squeezed shut against the pain and gasping for air. How could he possibly seek to fill his own satisfaction when she was in such a state?

A pebble hitting his forehead averts his attention upwards. Karai is holding onto the edge of the alcove with one hand and resting her hip into a sizable dip on the cliff. She rolls another rock between her fingers as she looks at it in mock interest. "Pebble for your thoughts?"

He chuckles but it catches in the back of his throat. "Keep moving."

He thinks he sees her quirk a smile before she pulls herself up onto the ledge and into the alcove. He follows soon after and suppresses a sigh. It's not that spacious, but it's enough for the two of them to hold up in until tomorrow.

"Oh, good," Karai says when he stands next to her to observe their new serenity for the time being. Width wise, it's not that great but they will have space between them when they sleep on the plus side. Depth wise, it's perfect. "I have always wanted to sleep in a hallway."

"It's good enough for tonight." Leo tells her as he ducks his head to avoid hitting the ceiling of the alcove.

They settle down on opposite sides of the space, toes touching despite how much Leo pulls his knees to his chest – he can't help it. Hours pass into the twilight and Leo almost starts drifting off, head resting into the wall and struggling to keep his eyes open; aware. He just wants to sleep.

A noise breaks the silence and Karai squirms, arms crossed over her chest and looking particularly disgruntled. She's hungry. Leo does not even realize he is famished himself until he forces himself to stand despite the ache in his joints. "I'll get you some food – save it." He adds when she opens her mouth to dispute him. Her brows knit stubbornly and she looks to the ground, probably too hungry to put up much of a fight.

"Leo?" The hesitance in her voice stops him at the mouth of the cave. His head turns to the right slightly, listening. "About earlier... when you saved me..."

"I know, you're 'not good at saying thank you'." He says with a slight smile and ducks away from the alcove, humbled at her attempt to thank him.

Fun fact: climbing down the cliff is much more difficult than climbing up.

It is only when his feet hit the ground and he is completely disconnected from Karai does he sigh and let the onslaught of _you failure_ and _what kind of leader gets stranded_ flood his mind. His brothers are probably laughing. And trying to save him, without a doubt, but not without a chuckle at this predicament.

He thinks of how Donnie will be locked up in the lab, head in his hands as another task weighs down on him. He thinks of Mikey and how worried he must be about not having Leo, his big brother around any more. He thinks of Raph and how mad his younger brother probably is towards him for risking it all for the enemy. Leo cannot help but agree with what his brother is undoubtedly thinking. He risked it for Karai, and only when he is no longer near her does the pull and haze clear from him completely. Why has she tethered him so strongly?

Splinter.

The mere reminder of his sensei comes back in full force, basically slapping him in the face.

_Failure. Splinter should have never chosen me. Donnie would have been the better choice to lead the team._

With a heavy heart and slumped shoulders, Leo begins to pick at various bushes near the cliff. After discovering only a few edible berries and nuts, he gathers them in the pouch of his belt where he usually kept his T-Phone and returns to the rocky wall.

Just looking at the cliff has Leo's leg ache in weak protest. He sighs and starts the climb, digging his toes into crevices and hoisting himself up carefully. One wrong move, and it's done. When his elbows rest on the alcove's floor and he sees Karai's sleeping figure, his mind immediately expands to invite the familiar sense and feeling of her. He brings himself to stand in the alcove and he walks over; but stops short at the sight.

Her armor is in a pile on the floor – that and her sash, the purple sash that she _never_ removes. She has never looked so bare to him and it brings a red tinge to his cheeks. Kunoichi's are deceptive, ruthless and seductive. The title suits her well.

 _She's just uncomfortable sleeping in her armor, like you are._ He sheds himself of his own padding and his belt with his Katana tucked inside. He places it down with Karai's armor and picks up her sash, with every intention on somehow pinning it to the entrance to block out the harsh wind that is beginning to pick up. But he stops when he catches Karai shivering from the corner of his eye.

He turns to her fully, watching as she brings her knees closer to her chest and her body shaking against the hard, cold ground. The pull. He walks over like an obedient puppy, shakes out the sash to it's full length and drapes it over her like a blanket. The shivering ceases almost instantly and he smiles softly at how content she seems. How can someone – someone raised by his greatest enemy, someone _evil_ – seems so innocent when slumbering?

His hand reaches for her against his will, fingers outstretched to brush the black locks from her cheek and he only just manages to stop himself before making contact. _Why can't you give it up already?_ A question he asks himself plenty of times the past two months he's known her for. She had betrayed him – a probable attempt to kill him when hurling her tanto at his head, but he still believes her actions were intended to be good – and even told him she would eventually destroy him, him and his brothers; went after April to take her to the Shredder. So why could he not detach himself from her?

She was a snake. Slithering her way into his heart and refusing to lessen her hold on him, no matter how hard he fought.

And he was tired of fighting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had this updated on Fanfiction but hadn't added it here ;_; Sorry! Incoming Chapter 3 and I think I will be paying more attention to this~


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